This means that developers and marketers will be able to deliver tailored messaging across various screens to tens of millions of engaged consumers in what it considers “brand-safe environments”. In effect, it brings more brands into the games space.

Investment bank Petsky Prunier acted as an advisor to Jun Group for the deal.

To find out more about what the takeover means for Advantage, Jun Group and the mobile games industry at large, we caught up with HyprMX general manager and senior vice president Dan Laughlin for his thoughts.

PocketGamer.biz: How does HyprMX fit into the app monetization landscape? What are your main offerings today- and how does the company differ from other monetization networks?

Dan Laughlin: HyprMX brings the world’s leading brands into mobile apps and games. We connect developers like Playrix, Pocket Gems and Social Point to immersive Fortune 500 brand experiences that engage their players while generating significant revenue.

Back in 2012 we were one of the first companies to bring rewarded video to advertisers across entertainment, auto, CPG, fashion and travel. Having helped establish brand rewarded video as a premium placement, we’ve recently expanded into brand interstitials.

What does this acquisition mean for HyprMX – will you be expanding your services for games companies and beyond? And what does it mean for developers you work with?

Advantage Solutions is a multi-billion dollar marketing powerhouse with over 95,000 employees and deep relationships with major brands and retailers, particularly in the CPG space.

This deal speaks volumes about the maturity and potential of advertising in games and mobile apps.

Dan Laughlin

Additionally, Advantage owns a number of leading media and creative agencies that we’re excited to partner with. Long-term, the possibilities around data and personalisation are endless.

Do you expect more brands to consider in-game ad inventory? If so, why the change?

Over the past 18 months brands have discovered the reach, safety, targeting and effectiveness of mobile games.

Mobile casual players (MOCAs) are everywhere, and the evidence of their purchasing power is overwhelming. Now that brands and their agencies no longer see games as just for “kids in the basement”, they’re allocating dollars much more liberally.

Broadly speaking, do you expect to see more ad inventory shift from app installs to brand campaigns in 2019?

I left the app install side of the market in 2014 to join HyprMX because I was confident this shift was imminent. In this maturing market there’s less and less room to advertise games within games because it damages loyalty and retention.

Advertising juggernauts like Facebook and Google have recently joined in embracing games and rewarded video, which has also helped make the ad units mainstream.

People are spending more of their media time with games, particularly on smartphones, and brand advertisers are responding by investing more of their dollars in this engaging, lean-forward environment.

2018 has been a great growth year for our business and with all of the industry forces behind us, and the backing of Advantage Solutions, we plan to keep up the momentum in 2019 and beyond.

How does Advantage plan to integrate Jun Group and HyprMX into its mix of companies?

HyprMX and Jun Group bring an exciting new dimension to Advantage’s business. We’ll run independently but work closely with our new parent to leverage the unique data and insights that both parties bring to the relationship. It’s an exciting time!

What does this deal say about the industry as a whole?

This deal speaks volumes about the maturity and potential of advertising in games and mobile apps.

This isn’t an ad tech start-up merging with another one. This is a major established brand enterprise extending its reach into an exciting digital space.

It’s a great sign for the mobile games industry that the space is valued so highly by Fortune 500 brands. We’re still in the early days of the marriage between games and brands, and we see a bright future ahead.